1. Field of the Invention
This invention broadly concerns a truck bed extension which can be readily mounted and detached from a conventional pickup truck bed. More particularly, it is concerned with a truck bed extension which may be coupled to the truck bed and tailgate for increasing the effective length of the truck bed which attaches to the existing tailgate latching hardware without the need for modification.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pickup trucks have become a common conveyance for many people in lieu of an automobile. They have the ability to carry cargo and in recent years, many trucks include added passenger seating. In many instances, pickup truck manufacturers wish to avoid increasing either the wheelbase or the overall length of the truck when further seating capacity is added. As a result, the manufacturer often shortens the truck bed of the pickup.
Unfortunately, the result is a reduced cargo-carrying capacity. While traditional pickup truck beds have had a length of about 8 feet in order to carry standard dimensioned lumber and plywood of that length, many current pickup truck bed lengths are reduced to six feet or even four feet. As a consequence, many articles can no longer be successfully transported in the shortened bed.
Several attempts have been made to develop a suitable truck bed extender, and are shown for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,658,033; 5,755,480; 5,816,637 and 5,820,188. However, a problem common to the teaching of each of these designs is their inability to be mounted and readily detached from standard pickup truck beds having latching assemblies, and may require the truck bed to be modified from its existing structure. This detracts from the use of the truck in its manufactured state when no extension is desired. Furthermore, prior art designs lack the combination of secure attachment to both the bed and the tailgate with the need for one-person attachment without the use of tools.
There has thus developed a need for a pickup truck bed extension which can be readily mounted and detached from the bed of a pickup having conventional latching mechanisms. There has further developed a need for a pickup truck bed extension which requires no modification of the truck bed itself, and thus can be used by a pickup truck owner who either lacks the desire or the skills necessary to alter the truck as provided by the manufacturer.